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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. E. SNEIDER. BRBEGH LOADING MAGAZINE FIRE ARM. No. 422,846.

Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

7/?" e? W Z (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. E. SNEIDER. BREEGH LOADING MAGAZINE FIRE ARM. No. 422,846. Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

jwyeigfvi. dzarlarmeliieif JNITED- STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES E. SNEIDER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARTIN GILLET GILL, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LOADING MAGAZl N E FIRE-ARM.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,846, dated March 4, 1890,

Application filed August 24, 1889. Serial No. 321,881. (No model.)

chanically conveyed into the breech-frameand then advanced for loading the gun.

In sporting fire-arms of the type alluded to it is very desirable to provide a simple but efiicient construction whereby the barrel carrying the magazine can be quickly and conveniently detached for reducing the length of the gunto facilitate its transportation. It is also desirable to so construct the locking de- 7 vice which secures the barrel in working position that itwill operate to force or clamp the rear end ofv the barrel gas-tight against the breech-frame by the locking movement of the device in securing the barrel, and also place the rear end of the magazine in close contact with that part of the breech-frame through which the cartridges pass for loading and firing. It is further desirable to provide the barrel with a tubular magazine having such-simple construction that it can be bodily raised or moved to expose its interior through a slot that a sportsman may at a glance inspect the interior of the magazine along its entire length, or substantially so, and instantly see the number of cartridges therein contained, while the side of the barrel serves to close and conceal the inspecting-slot when the magazine is moved back to its normal position, parallel to the barrel. The magazine should have a locking device to secure it in its working or operative position, and it is desirable that this locking device be so constructed as to be unlocked by that pressure of the finger which is exerted to bodily raise or move the magazine for exposing the slot.

These desirable provisions are made in my invention; and to such ends my invention involves the features of construction, the arrangement or combination of devices, and the principles of operation hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevation of a magazinebreech-loading fire-arm embodying my invention, showing the magazine raised by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a left-hand side elevation of the same with the magazine raised. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on the line y 'y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 22, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the rear end of the barrel and the clamping locking device.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, where the numeral 1 indicates the stock, and 2 the breech-frame, of a repeating fire-arm having breech mechanism the same as that described and shown in a separate application for Letters Patent filed of even date herewith. The breech-frame is provided in one side with a shell-ej ecting orifice 3, and at the opposite side with a lateral hollow enlargement 4:, containing a cartridge inserter ejector 5, that also dogs the cartridges in the magazine; but as these features are not herein claimed, and are fully set forth in my application alluded to, it is unnecessary to more completely describe the same. The barrel 6 carries the tubular magazine 7, which is pivoted at its forward end, as at 8, to permit it to be bodily swung or raised out of parallelism with the barrel, and this magazine is constructed at its inner side with a longitudinal slot 9, extending its full length, or substantially so. A spring 10 within the magazine serves, as usual, to press the cartridges rearward into the breech-frame for loading the gun. hen the magazine is moved or raised out of parallelism with the barrel, the slot is exposed, and a sportsman can at a glance inspect the contents and instantly see the num ber of cart-ridges therein contained, and when the magazine is moved back to its normal or working position the side of the gun-barrel closes and conceals the inspecting-slot.

I do not confine myself to pivoting the magazine, for it may be otherwise movably secured to the barrel to be bodily moved for uncovering and covering-its slot through the medium of the barrel.

5 To lock the magazinein its normal or working position, the barrel is provided with a projecting catch-stud 12, and the magazine near its rear end carries aplate 13, dovetailed to and sliding on the barrel, to which plate I is pivoted at 14 a locking-catch 15, having a finger-piece 16, extending laterally beneath the magazine. The locking-catch and fingerpiece are shown as at approximately right angles to each other, and the dovetailed plate I is secured to the magazine by a loop 17, en-

circling the magazine; but this construction can be varied. 'A spring 18, between the under side of the loop and the finger-piece of the catch, serves tothrow the catch into locking engagement with the catch-stud on the barrel when the magazine is moved into its normal or working position, and the construction and arrangement of the several parts is such that the pressure exerted by the finger 2 5 on the finger-piece 16 to move the magazine away from the barrel to expose the inspecting-slot releases or unlocks the catch, by

which means the magazine is instantly re leased and moved to the position desired'for o inspecting the contents of the magazine or for charging the latter with cartridges.

When the slotted magazine is pivoted at its forwardend, the dovetailed plate carrying the locking device is very useful, in that it 3 5 accurately guides the magazine in itsmovements and maintains the pivoted part of the catch in correct position to automatically engage the catch-stud when the magazine is moved to its normal position.

For transporting, repairing, cleaning, and other purposes the barrel is made to be quickly and conveniently detached with the magazine thereon, and to accomplish this the breechframe is provided with a cylindrical socket 19, to which is fitted a cylindrical tenon formed as an extension of the barrel to providean annular shoulder 20 thereupon. The ten on is provided with a transverse half-round or semicircular locking cavity 21, and the breechpiece is provided with a rotating pin 22,

having a concavity 23 to admit the removal or insertion of the tenon on the barrel when said concavity is flush with the curved wall of the cylindrical socket. A lever-handle 24,

formed with and at right angles to the rotating pin, extends along and parallel to one side of the breech-piece in such manner that by swinging the lever-handle in a halfcircle the pin is disengaged from the cavity in the tenon and the barrel can be detached, and in such detachment the position of the magazine on the barrel is not disturbed.

To attach the barrel and magazine the tenon is inserted into the socket and the le- 6 5 ver handle is swung down and forward,

thereby causing thepin to lock thete ion, while at the same time the pin, acting like-an" fraine through which the cartridges pass to load the gun.

The detachment and attachment of the barrel carrying the ,magazine is effected by a partial revolution of the cam-pin, and consequently the barrel can be rapily removed and replaced with ease and facility.

My present invention is more desirable and useful in connection with the breech mech anism described and claimed in my application hereinbefore alluded to, but I do not confine myself thereto. r

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a magazine fire-arm, the combinat on of a breech-frame having a lateral hollow enlargement for receiving the cartridges, a removable and replaceable barrel carrying a cartridge-magazine which projects along the breech-frame behind the rear end of the barrel and abuts the lateral hollow enlargement, and a locking device on the breech-frame which engages the barrel and draws the said barrel and magazine backward against thebreech-frame and lateral enlargement, substantially as described.

2. In a magazine fire-arm, the combination, with a breeclrframe, of a removable and replaceable barrel carrying a cartridge-magazine and provided with a transverse locking cavity and an axially-rotating locking-p n mounted on the breech-frame and having a concavity coinciding with the cavity in the barrel, said pin operating when axially rotated in one direction to disengage the bar rel, and when axially rotated in the opposite direction to engage the barreland draw t and the magazine rearward, substantially as described. 7 r

3. The combination, with a breech-fra-me, of a removable and replaceable barrel and a swinging cartridge-magazine journaled on the barrel and having a longitudinal cartridgeinspecting slot, which is covered by swinging the magazine on the barrel,- substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a barrel, of a swinging magazine journaled on the barrel and having a longitudinal slot in its inner side which is covered by the side of the barrel when the magazine is in its normal position and is uncovered when the magazine is swung in a direction away from the barrel, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a barrel having a stud-catch, of a movable magazine carried by the barrel and a pivoted lockingecatch re.

Too.

leased from the stud-catch by the pressure tailed plate for locking the magazine to the exerted to move the magazine away from the barrel, substantially as described. 1 barrel, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have affixed my 6. The combination, with a barrel, of a signature in presence of two Witnesses. magazine pivotally connected at or near its CHARLES E. SNEIDER. front end to the barrel and provided near its VViinesses: rear end with a plate dovetailed to the bar- PERCY B. HILLS,

rel and a looking-catch carried by the dove- JAMES A. RUTHERFORD. 

